For some reason, our Forwards this year seem to be doing the Pavel Bure and leaving the defensive zone way too early.

OK, so I have had a decent look at Booth, no way in hell this guy has the skill set that Mason Raymond has, not too mention, that the guy simply does not know how to read the cycle. It seems like he just doesn't know where to go in the offensive zone.

Our 4th line don't look so good tonight.

Again, why is Malhotra not scratched?

Hansen is pulling a disappearing act again tonight.

Feel bad for Higgins, he's got no linemates tonight.

As per usual, the Wild just love beating us and we just seem to have no push back against these guys the majority of the time.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

RoyalDude wrote:OK, so I have had a decent look at Booth, no way in hell this guy has the skill set that Mason Raymond has, not too mention, that the guy simply does not know how to read the cycle. It seems like he just doesn't know where to go in the offensive zone.

Booth has a much better NHL skill set. He is bigger, stronger, way harder to knock off the puck, goes into the dirty areas, and has a far better shot than MayRay. He's had a few good chances and plays tonight and will adapt to our system and produce. He's also already had a couple of better offensive seasons than Raymond. Kesler is the engine that drives that line, and he's a step behind right now. Don't let me get in the way of your incessant negativity, though.

Again, why is Malhotra not scratched?

He 's playing like shit, but faceoff ability and the fact he's a center still make him more valuable to the team than Ebbett right now. The coaching staff seems to believe he needs to get his conditioning back and can play his way out of this. The jury is out on whether that's the case.

As per usual, the Wild just love beating us and we just seem to have no push back against these guys the majority of the time.

They play us hard because we're the perennial top dog in the division, but we beat them more often than not. We've been porous on the back end and have made some over-ambitious pinches when we were down, but there's no need to wet the bed over this performance. We could have easily scored three goals in the second period. It's disappointing, but the way you and SC are moaning about it you'd think we were hemmed in our zone all period.

Last edited by Rumsfeld on Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Rumsfeld wrote:
They play us hard because we're the perennial top dog in the division, but we beat them more often than not. We've been porous on the back end and have made some over-ambitious pinches, but there's no need to wet the bed over this performance. We could have easily scored three goals in the second period. It's disappointing, but the way you and SC are moaning about it you'd think we were hemmed in our zone all period.

Yep. The Canucks didn't show up tonight. No backside pressure from the forwards coming back, D making all kind of dumb pinches and no support from the forwards when doing so. Bieksa... ouch. Sedins were un-inspiring. Kesler, invisible. Burrows and Lapierre were the only guys that played well, imo. The Canucks were just out-hustled all over the ice. When the Wild are out-shooting you 2-1 you're playing like garbage.

It's pretty obvious this team hasn't got their minds fully into the season yet. They play a couple good games (and even half the Flames game they weren't very good, the Flames were just that bad), and then lay out a stinker. They'll figure it out, but it's painful to watch such putrid effort.

The boys should really be begging Schneider's forgiveness after this one. Guy gave them every opportunity to stay in the game and they just didn't seem to try. Not very often a goalie let's in 4 (so far) goals and is your teams' best player by a mile.

RoyalDude wrote:but there's no need to wet the bed over this performance.

Shi'ite Muslim, Rummy, you are the voice of reason.

Would you just let me be fucking miserable about it? Stop trying to talk sense into me.

We agree to disagree when it comes to Raymond, no way in hell does Booth possess Raymonds puck skills. You got 'Man Crush for the New Guy Syndrome' right now. I can decide if I like someone after seeing him for only one shift.

Also, this is a different team without Salo.

It will be a god-damned TRAVESTY If Malhotra the Face Off king dresses against the Blues,

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

Hey Rummy, what you think of that pass by Booth to send the Minny player on a breakaway and then how Booth ices the puck when he didn't have to right after. The guy is dumb. He ain't no Raymond. He's got Sopel-itis.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

RoyalDude wrote:Hey Rummy, what you think of that pass by Booth to send the Minny player on a breakaway and then how Booth ices the puck when he didn't have to right after. The guy is dumb. He ain't no Raymond. He's got Sopel-itis.

Yeah, cuz Raymond was a stud last season. And people said Booth's shooting percentage was bad....

Rumsfeld wrote:
It's pretty obvious this team hasn't got their minds fully into the season yet. They play a couple good games (and even half the Flames game they weren't very good, the Flames were just that bad), and then lay out a stinker. They'll figure it out, but it's painful to watch such putrid effort.

RoyalDude wrote:Hey Rummy, what you think of that pass by Booth to send the Minny player on a breakaway and then how Booth ices the puck when he didn't have to right after. The guy is dumb. He ain't no Raymond. He's got Sopel-itis.

Yeah, cuz Raymond was a stud last season. And people said Booth's shooting percentage was bad....

You know what's really weird, I don't even remember trading Raymond for Booth. I should probably lay off the weed...

I don't think this team is even close to being the consistent winner they were last season. It's not panic button time, but there are some pretty clear indicators that some people have to change, either that or they have to be moved.

Bieksa needs to snap out of it, learn how to shoot and how to pass, or go get a fresh start somewhere else.

The Sedins need to put it together and quit with all the cute bullshit. Everyone is waiting for it. Tonight Minnesota was just waiting for Henrik to make a pass, and they were right there to take it. That was true of every little "cycle play" that this team made. The Wild were just right there to turn it around on them.

Vigneault needs to figure this team out. If he already has, then he needs to figure out how to coach a different system and start getting more (or is it less?) creative.

Malhotra is junk. I have never seen a $2.5M player as useless as he has been.

As much as I like Hansen's speed and forecheck, we are never going to get anything more than we are right now with him. I think he was a re-signing that we could have done without. No player in team history has been the commentator's subject of "Player right in front, but....." It's either the heel of his stick, or hops over his stick, or he just missed the net, or it just got away from him. This guy has no finish, and considering how many times the puck has been on his stick like that in a game where it's still close.....well, we need that goal from him and we aren't getting it.

Our zone entry needs to change. It can't just cross the line and then pull up and look for a pass. It can't be enter the zone with a defender shadowing you and then make a 4 foot pass to the winger for a give-and-go when said winger is going to receive the pass about 1/2 a second before the passer's shadow arrives to check him. It's a useless play and it's not working.

Weiss is not ready for the NHL. Not even close. Last game it was a breakaway pass that he just quit skating on. Tonight there were multiple times he screwed up with the puck, and a 3-on-2 where instead of taking the wing he pulls up and tries to skate in late in the high slot.....of course he makes this decision as the puck carrier passes the puck to his wing.....no wait, that was a pass to the boards now. We must have a better option in the minors than this waste of skates.

In general this team needs to find some heart. The real breaking point was that post-to-post no-goal when the game was still 3-1. After that everything unravelleld. It was like they just gave up because they didn't get that bounce. I think this stems from the leadership, this is where you need a Toews, a Crosby, a Linden, a Messier, a Sakic.....a Kesler? Someone who isn't more comfortable on the perimeter than in the thick of traffic or the front of the net. Someone who is going to go out and throw a big hit, run the goalie, rattle the opponent, anything to spark the team. Or someone who will be giving his guys shit on the bench when needed, someone who is going to get in Bieksa's face for his bullshit mistakes, or ask Malhotra why he's back if he's not ready. Henrik is just not that leader.

There were only two player's who showed up tonight, Lapierre, and Schneider. I'm loving Lap's game right now, never quits on the puck, never quits on the play. Brings it every shift.

Schnedier almost deserved a star tonight. I can't think of another time where I could say that after a goalie has let in 5 goals. That game was easily 10-1 Wild if not for Schneider. It still could have been 7-1 or 8-1 and the goalie is totally off the hook. He closed the door in the first period, and then held the team in it while they treaded water for 5 minutes in the 2nd period. He then continued to give them a chance until the 17 minute mark of that period. Actually, he kept it within reach until the 4th goal, but by then it was obvious that this team was not going to make a game of it.

This was a team effort to hang Schneider out to dry. I'd be a lousy teammate because if I had been Schneider I would have skated to the bench after the 4th goal and refused to play behind a team that was that disinterested. Tomorrow will probably be more of the same against a St. Louis team that likes to have our number.

griz wrote:
What's with the thuggery at the end by the Wild? Times like that I wish we had Gino Odjick.

Teams have the book on the current incarnation of the Canucks. If they're PP isn't firing it's a green light to take runs. I liked the low-bridge by Ballard. Take a run at me, will ya? Lapierre has really impressed me. He's not only fighting his own battles this season, but fighting other peoples' as well.

Meds wrote:
Bieksa needs to snap out of it, learn how to shoot and how to pass, or go get a fresh start somewhere else.

This is classic Bieksa. He's very casual out there and when you're getting this kind of Bieksa it's painful to watch. The "other" Bieksa, the pissed off version, is absolutely essential to this teams' success, imo. We lack that physical "meanness" back there. Will we get that this season? I think we will eventually. He was our best d-man in the playoffs, and him and Kesler (until injured) were the only ones to actually raise their level of play.

The Sedins need to put it together and quit with all the cute bullshit. Everyone is waiting for it. Tonight Minnesota was just waiting for Henrik to make a pass, and they were right there to take it. That was true of every little "cycle play" that this team made. The Wild were just right there to turn it around on them.

Agreed. They haven't impressed me. The Wild PK totally figured them out. Let them sit on the outside. Don't chase them into the corners to let their cycle go to work. They tried the cute slap-pass/tip about 84 times and it never clicked. The Wild gave them that and they never tried anything else. They need to simplify things, pass to open a lane, get it towards the net. This cute garbage didn't work in the playoffs, they need to start figuring the KISS principle.

Vigneault needs to figure this team out. If he already has, then he needs to figure out how to coach a different system and start getting more (or is it less?) creative.

I think we saw the line-juggling start in the third period. It's like the fellas are too comfortable out there. As if the game is going to come to them. That confidence was fine last year, when they earned it. Someone needs to tell them that they didn't win jack shit last year, and it was LAST YEAR. They haven't earned anything this season and until their effort matches their skill level, they probably won't.

Malhotra is junk. I have never seen a $2.5M player as useless as he has been.

Sturm was pretty close, but obviously Manny didn't have a good off-season and it's showing. I think Kesler is in the same boat. Neither one of them has looked up to standard.

Our zone entry needs to change. It can't just cross the line and then pull up and look for a pass. It can't be enter the zone with a defender shadowing you and then make a 4 foot pass to the winger for a give-and-go when said winger is going to receive the pass about 1/2 a second before the passer's shadow arrives to check him. It's a useless play and it's not working.

The Sedins really like this one, and it does work and look nice some of the time. They do it far too often and I'm amazed their still getting away with it at all. Not sure why the second or third line feels the need to try it. We need to diversify the attack. The second line has wheels to spare and should be driving wide and to the cage every chance they can.